Motor operated valve



Sept. 20, 1949.

Filed Sept. 20, 1943 E. G. MILLER ET AL MOTOR OPERATED VALVE 2Sheets-Sheet l 41' Ta PA/E K5 P 1949. E. G. MILLl -IR ET AL 2,482,199

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VE Filed Sept. 20, 1943 2 Sheets-Shqec 2 Patented Sept.20, 1949 MOTOR OPERATED VALVE Edward G. Miller and Ralph E. Engberg,Clayton, Mo., assignors to Alco Valve Company, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Application September 20, 1943, Serial No.503,022

The present invention relates generally to motor operated valves. Moreparticularly it relates to a semi-automatic, self-phasing, currentunloading valve, which is operated by a motor combined therewith to forma complete and compact unit, emcient and accurate in operation. Noveltyof construction, and simplicity of the arrangement whereby the objectsof the invention are attained will be hereinafter disclosed.

An object of theinvention is the provision of an improved arrangement ina valve of this character, whereby the valve mechanism and its movementsare controlled by a prime mover selectively adapted to cause the valveproper to open and to be so maintained, or to close andbe so maintainedby the simple expedient of shifting a manually operable switch from opento closed position or vice versa.

Another object of the invention resides in the power transmissionmechanism interposed between the prime mover and the valve mechanism,whereby the high velocity of the former is greatly reduced before itreaches and operates the latter, resulting in a predetermined speedreduction ratio effecting a substantially improved operating torquetherein.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a valve operatingmechanism which will act effectively and positively against variousinlet pressures ranging up to approximately seven hundred pounds, andwhich is designed to automatically lock the valve proper in either theopen or closed position thereof for any selected period of time.

A further object consists in providing a simple yet positive sealingmeans whereby the fluid agent entering and discharging from the valve isdefinitely segregated from the mechanism which controls its action.

Additional advantages of the invention will be pointed out, or areapparent from the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings. In said drawings which illustrate apreferred embodiment of my invention:

Fig, 1 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the unit as it appears from theleft in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately along the line4-4 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional views taken respectively on lines5-5 and 6-6 across .the middle of FigA; and,

1 Claim. (01. 137-139) Fig. '7 is a diagram illustrating the wiringarrangement employed in achieving the invention.

The device is portrayed in a vertical position, but may obviously beutilized in a horizontal or an angular position with equal efficiency.

The embodiment illustrated includes a valve body 8, having formedtherein an inlet passage 9 and an outlet passage ID in communicationrespectively with inlet and outlet conduits H and I2. Fluidcommunication between said inlet and outlet passages may be had when thevalve is open (it is shown closed in the drawings), through that portionl3 of a central bore l4 contiguous to a valve seat I 5 formed in thevalve body.

A poppet valve stem l6, reciprocable in said bore, has a reduced portionll terminating in a conical valve element or plug l8, which in theclosed position thereof is maintained firmly against the conical seat l5by the action of an expansible coil spring I9, extending between a seat20 on the valve body and the underside of a spring retainer 2! fixed tothe upper portion of the stem, as shown in Fig. 4, by means of a setscrew 22, such arrangement providing for adjustment of spring tension asis obvious. The poppet valve is arranged so that seating is improved bybeing aided by inlet pressure.

In addition to seating the valve head l8, the spring I9 also maintainsthe upper extremity l6a of the poppet valve stem in constant contactwith the underside of a pan-shaped member or disc 23 to which is weldedor otherwise hermetically secured the upper end of a bellows 24 whoselower end is similarly secured to a cylindrical tubular portion 25a of acircular bellows support 25.

As shown in Fig. 4, an annular gasket 26 of synthetic rubber or similarmaterial occupies corresponding grooves formed in the under and upperfaces of the bellows support 25 and the valve body 8, respectively, thuseffecting a. seal therebetween. Screws 21 or other fasteners areemployed to attach the bellows supporting element 25 to the valve body.The above-described bellows construction provides a seal between thefluid area of the valve and the operating mechanism therefor hereinafterto be described.

A conical seal 28 of synthetic semi-rigid material is sleeved on athreaded depending portion [6b of the poppet valve stem, and by means ofa lock washer 29 and nut 30 is held in place firmly against the valveplug I8, so that a tight seal is provided in the closed position of thevalve as is understood. Access to these parts may be had by removal ofthe body plug 3|. A suitable gasket 32 prevents leakage duringoperation. The valve body is provided with tapped openings 33 (Figs. 2and 4) which may be utilized in attaching the unit to a support.

. Mounted on the valve body (laws by screws 34 5 ipassing through aflanged portion 350, thereof is a bellows housing or cylinder 35.Secured to and supported b-ysthe upper portionr'of .theibellows Vlhousing'i's'a'switch' housing 36 rigidly'nraintained in position byscrews 31.

A reversible motor M, the casing of which is designated 38, rests on andis suppohtedrbysaid switch housing as illustrated, rigidity thereof be-.ling insured by means of a snuglyfittiirgnnoisture l5, while rotationjthereof in the opposite d ire tion will effectseating of the same. Thejackscrew head portion 5 la is enlarged so that smooth contraction andexpansion of the bellows 24 may 'be had.

As shown in Fig. 4, and illustrated diagrammatically in "7, thejackscrew head 5Ia is provided with {an 'annuglar "flange 5 155111 ingcontacfi with,fand controlling the "action of, afdou'ble pole .singlethrow snap-action limit switch button or "actuating component 54. Thislimit switch, desi-ignateidil Slin the drawings, is of a commercial typeand thereforeuis illustrated only diagramrmatic'allyi-nwigifl; 2ft ismounted in the switch ,proofing cover 39 of yieldableinsulatingmaterial11 5 fhollsingf-"ifi'iais portrayed in Fig. 4.

which has an interlocking connection 'as at '40 with said housing. Apluralityeof. screws? hold themotor on the switch housing 36, themotorhousing interfitting with the switch housing as shown. The motor shaft380, extends beyondthe ji-rrg component ofian epioyolic -gear'train*which gal-So inoludesla pairvof spacedr-ing gears. 7

Thus, a first in-g gear is securedto the fixe'd 12. segment-ref the:s'mai1ler gear i iaof'the' doub'le pinion 44. :As'secorrdr'ringilgeardl is in similar iengagementiwitha'the.gear Mb' of'thedoublepi-nrioni44,:but -unlike theistationary gear- 5,: is moviablei andrconst'itutes the driven e mernber 0f 5 the zepioyclicwtra'ln. .zItIisfitdriven sat: a :g-reatlyr reduced :speed relativetto tnaaorthe motorshatt 4'1.

lncor'der tofclarify the manner i-n whioh suoh "i0 speed reductionzisobtained, attention is direct-ed to Figs.-:5 and--6. Itlisiseenthatiwherfithe eccen Jtric43 isfrotatedhy the :rnotor shaft 3Ba, thedou- 'herein; theepicyclicreductiomis:obtained by having a smallernumberzo'itteetheoni pinionidkai-z-than on ririgigear &5, .a-nds-byhaving axsmaillersmimber 10f? teebh fol'llwlnlon'iq-@biiihfiin?onrringzg'ear 4:1. "330 e anol may'revolve thereabout-when 25 Anappropriate connector for the electrical wiring:istindicatede;-. and atypical circuit'of said wiring for the present valve construction isshownin"Fig. 7, i

Withparticular reference now to Fig. 7, the motor -M i-is 'see'n to--have a terward-winding L 56 and a re'verse wind-mom. Who-winding 5siseonnec ted 'to a--ontact 58, thereir euivof which 'ma-y becomple'tedithrough ano'ther contact *59 :that is in con-neeti-onwith-oneterminal 6flofa mastei' switchMS. In turn, the master -=switeh-isc0n'- *ne'cte' to a battery B. The eircui-t may 'be'com ole'te'idthrough the*grourrd The winding 51 is 'eofne Cte'd to a oontact 6 Iandits circuit -may be 1 eomplete d thr'oiigh an- "othei contact 62'=connected 'to theother termihal 53-of the master-switch; When thevalve-opens, the ii-mit switeh aotuating -inemberifl isshifted V from-eposition:wherein it oios'es the' 'centacts 58 "illustratemifvtherringv-fgear ififihas :25.: teelth, the "5 i -p h .iun -i-neludingtther motorgandnts pinion 44a hasQZ li-teeth, the; pinion=Mbi-has meet-h,z-an'd the 'ringigearid TZzhQiS: 26: teeth #8136241 '1 *reduction? isobtained. 7 a V ="-Ilhis rotationvobviouslyris: transmitted to ithe,shaf f.,-are idle.

; Immdgra to... open the= valy th masahswsth sis moved tocontact/thetaming-6flttherebyccomf pleting a circuit through said contacts andjhegear 44b*-.which,2ast shown,iiszintegralawitlrrgear rfiqnward Windingpffijlhehmortorr #ThemuPon 'rllllasand in'mesh;.- th therotatableinternal z-iiing gear dl ftozwhich-is-secured:hy'rivetsflmpor. thermeans, -..-a rotatable viintennally threaded nut 5 19 mounted in andr'suppontdobys a1 suitable :b caning sleeve50. t v V oAvj-ackascre-wiflw'ho-sei upper endzfportion is iexternally threadedxarid'inzengagernentzwithathe 'rotatableinut-{ lllg but;isitselfrnon-rotatable'the're- 5' -in;sincma; key 52-rslid1able zimazgrooveiitiandparlrtiallyi imbeddeduirr theuackescrewsls the prevenative agent. i

v it shouldzno wbe apparentszthata-otatiomofilthe lthemotor.rotates.th'efeobeni r bliin afilbhk i fie direction. llconsequentlyhlthehut-1341s .als lr tatedv-inua. olofckwi'seldirectioh, ;.a1;thongh.asinoteifc1. at a greatly reduced'ra'te of speed;

transmitted.) V

insane .nut. .49. rctatesgthe i iclkfsorewdt scflifi gradually. i t bimseating 1 the: valve l 5; and p rmittin the fluid unde pressure to;passiirom 65 the"inletpalssageQtoth outlet passagelll yia chamber [3,.In the closed position of the yalve,

pletely open position of thevalve, -i=eleases the 'actuating membefl5'4whereby-causing -the;limit switch contacts assooiated threw itlr tosnap out V aofcengagement withiithwoontacts iaaand 59 andiintm'engagementiwithzcontantg 6 hands;theremutrflei-n'ionadirectionawillunse'atrthe valveihead :5 by shuttingoff the powerrsupnlyi'to'fithezimotor,

auser ijth mo icyclic. ear. trainthmggh, which th powe is as is wellunderstood, and presetting the limit switch for a valve-closingoperation.

Assuming now that a required quantity of liquid has passed through thevalve, and it is desired to shut oif the supply, the master switch MS ismoved to contact the terminal 63. This completes a circuit through thecontacts 6!, 6?. and the reverse winding 51 causing the motor shaft 38ato rotate in a counterclockwise direction. It follows that the eccentric43 and the nut 49, rotating also in a counterclockwise direction willfirmly seat the valve plug 15 and move the limit switch actuating button54 to its compressed position, thereby shutting off the power supply tothe motor and presetting the electrical circuit for a repetition of thecycle.

The limit switch in this case is one of the wellknown types having anegative differential, by which it shifts in a closing position when thevalve is just closed, and shifts open when the valve is completely open.

The valve may look in closed position because the head a may withdrawslightly from the pan-shaped element 23 before the motor shaft stops.This permits the valve to be seated by the full force of the spring 20,without interfering with automatic operation to open the valve later, asthe parts merely come together again. This separation does not interferewith the seal of the valve itself produced by the bellows arrangement.

The valve is self-phasing, as the limit switch is always in a positioncorresponding to that of the valve. Hence manual operation (as byturning the motor shaft by hand) does not upset the automatic operation.

The valve assembly is in separable units. The motor can be withdrawn.The switch mechanism can be withdrawn from the valve, without upsettingthe valve seal, and with it operating to safe, closed position.

What is claimed is:

In a valve mechanism, a reversible motor having a projecting shaft,valve elements including a valve housing, an inlet passageway, an axialbore having a valve seat, and an outlet passageway formed therein, apoppet valve stem slidable in the axial bore, a valve head provided withsealing means formed adjacent a reduced portion of the valve stem, achamber formed in said bore by the reduced portion of the stem, anexpansible spring arrangement normally maintaining the valve head seatedagainst the valve seat, a bellows assembly for hermetically sealing theaforesaid valve elements from the remainder of the mechanism, acylindrical shell mounted on the valve housing in spaced relation to thebellows,

a member provided with an axial bore and being mounted on and supportedby said valve hous- REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,141,647 Merk June 1, 19151,173,764 Baldwin Feb. 29, 1916 1,777,115 Bruback Sept. 30, 19301,791,012 Ray Feb. 3, 1931 1,807,302 Braden May 26, 1931 1,977,015Rodler Oct. 16, 1934 1,989,942 Parks Feb. 5, 1935 1,992,902 McIntoshFeb. 26, 1935 2,334,513 Shaw Nov. 16, 1943

